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THE

SONDER

YEARS

First, they conquered the pop-punk world. Now, they’re creating their own. From deepest Wales to the streets of England’s capital, Kerrang! navigates four months in ‘Sonderland’ for the birth of ambitious new album ALL DISTORTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL – NECK DEEP’s bid to see their name up in lights like never before…

Words: JAMES HICKIE PHOTOS: TOM BARNEs

24 KERRANG! KERRANG! 25 t’s a chilly November afternoon, unsettled by witnessing overhead lights being “Pop-punk’s where we came from, and the and Ben Barlow’s eyes are fixed on manipulated by unseen forces. And while, reason we’re doing what we’re doing now,” says the countryside outside the kitchen ultimately, those “forces” turned out to be the West, not wishing to discredit the world that window. Neck Deep have been living singer’s mischievous bandmates using fishing birthed them. “We started out writing pop-punk at this studio for three weeks, and lines to simulate the work of a poltergeist, Neck songs because that’s what we were listening to at will remain so for as many more, and Deep are in no doubt over the supernatural the time. Naturally, over the years, we’ve grown have already grown immune to the status of the place. and tastes have changed. On [The Peace And charms of the 400 acres of fields that “It’s 100 per cent haunted,” confirms guitarist The Panic], we had songs like Parachute and surround it, the nearby river that recently Matt West (or simply West), before revealing that In Bloom that wouldn’t sound particularly out broke its banks, and the mysterious cats that Matt Squire, the producer for ND’s fourth album of place on the record we’re making now. We watchI the humans from the safety of the and the man responsible for records by All Time enjoyed writing and playing those songs so much long, snaking driveway. The band’s singer has Low, Panic! At The Disco and , that the natural evolution was to do [last year’s something more pressing in mind right now – insisted on ceremoniously burning sage to purge non-album single] She’s A God, and that took namely, the bonfire planned for this evening, bad energy after witnessing a crow’s death. us to where we are now. I don’t think there’s any and scouting for materials conscious effort to step away to build it, which need only from where we were, it’s just a satisfy one criterion: “If it natural thing that’s happened.” burns, we’ll burn it.” “For me, the highest form Encouraged by his of praise for this record would bandmates, Ben, with a couple be people thinking it’s been of strokes of a marker pen, made by real artists rather makes these words the 10th than some everyday lads in of Neck Deep’s “Album 4 a band,” adds Ben. “We are Rewlz” – an ever-growing list more than loveable idiots – of guidelines they’re living by there’s a deeper level to what while making their similarly we do. We’ve evolved into combustible follow-up to creative people with taste and 2017’s The Peace And The a vision, who have carved out Panic. These “rewlz” are our own pocket within the written on a large whiteboard, music world. I want people to repurposed from its role think Neck Deep don’t sound recording the results of games like anyone else – that they of pool hampered by uneven sound like Neck Deep.” floorboards beneath the table. It’s not alterations to the According to the board, band’s creative process that rule number three is “Get have brought about this it blown”, a reference to evolution, because little Neck Deep having recently has really changed from destroyed three amps in as the early days of Ben and many days, necessitating older brother Seb piecing a seven-hour round trip to together music in the attic collect a replacement, only for of their childhood home. that to also go boom within And while today they’ve got half an hour. The band can more space in which to play, laugh about it now, thankfully, the band still favour close because rule number six confines and a production- is “Keep being comedy line mentality. They record legends”, a rule they don’t in the wood-beamed studio struggle to observe, enjoying an attached to the house, before easy chemistry characterised Seb, ensconced in an upstairs by self-deprecation, especially bedroom, reviews what’s after a few beers. Alcohol been done, noting any tweaks doesn’t make an appearance required, or mixing the stuff too early in these parts, Ben Barlow that makes the grade. though, as stipulated by the It’s a model of self- all-important ninth rule: “No sufficiency young bands bevs before quarter past piss”. That’s 6.15pm to should aspire to. And Monnow, located 100 the uninitiated. miles from their home base in Wrexham, seems Welcome to Monnow Valley, a remote studio “WE’RE MORE THAN a much better fit than the Los Angeles studios in Monmouthshire, South-East Wales where, where Neck Deep worked on The Peace since 1974, bands have come to get away And The Panic, and began writing this one – from the world and concentrate on the job of LOVEABLE IDIOTS – experiences not necessarily to their tastes. making important records that radically alter “It feels like we’re here for the sole purpose the trajectories of their authors. Black Sabbath THERE’S A DEEPER of making a record, whereas in LA we were also visited here many times as they transformed having to shake hands and network and shit,” themselves from the niche purveyors of darkness LEVEL TO WHAT WE DO” says Ben, explaining the key difference between of their early days to the goliaths of metal they’re BEN BARLOW there and here, then and now. “We wake up known as today. Ozzy Osbourne even once here just a few footsteps away from the studio. reportedly used the bedroom currently occupied Being close to home takes a big element of by Neck Deep guitarist Sam Bowden to summon stress out of the situation, too. We don’t have spirits with a Ouija board. Neck Deep are also clear about what they’re to constantly fly or live out of a suitcase. I know Liam Gallagher might tell you Ozzy was here to achieve: an album that fundamentally I’m not going to go home yet, because we’re successful in contacting the other side. His shifts them from pop-punk’s leading lights to a going to work on this until the final days. But band Oasis were here in the autumn of 1993 to great band full stop, transferring these big fish psychologically, it’s comforting to know I could.” transpose the Manchester band’s formidable live from their small pond to the limitless oceans of Far from skipping out, Ben – ever the clout into their debut album, Definitely Maybe. the big time. Not because they think that’s what night owl – regularly stays up until dawn here, Not only did the £800-a-day sessions prove they should be doing now, mind, but because it’s a glass of red wine in hand, recording vocal fruitless, the usually cocksure Liam became a point they’ve arrived at organically. takes or listening back to his efforts. As a result

26 KERRANG! Seb Barlow Sam Bowden

Dani Washington Matt West

KERRANG! 27 “I feel like it was meant to each other and running say to each other because I’ve “I’ve not rehearsed with (NOT REALLY) happen. I felt more connected smooth, and without blowing always been a bit removed. them at all yet. I’m a good to this album than any other my own horn I thought I At Monnow, it was my room singer and I’m good at THE NEW GUY album we’ve done, and it’s could be the cherry on top that people came to in order bass, but combining those SEB BARLOW speaks been the easiest process to solidify the band as a unit. to decompress. I don’t think elements in front of 10,000 making it. Neck Deep as I’ve always been involved I’ll lose that now I’m playing people is going to be the on finally becoming an a four-piece has been the with everything, and they’ve with them. I’ve worked with difficult thing! My first ‘official’ part of strongest the band has always respected my opinion. bands for seven years, so am show is a big festival this NECK DEEP… ever been in terms I can say things to all of them used to managing multiple summer, so I’ve still got of getting on with that they might not be able to people’s ideas. a while yet.”

Group hugs: the perfect solution to a cold photo studio

28 KERRANG! he’s the last to rise each day. At 2pm, he hasn’t joshing that it’s a bit too much like Sunderland. you’ll find him glued to his laptop at the dining been up long, sipping coffee and vaping as “‘Sonder’ is a German word for the realisation room table, working on another key element of he explains how these dark nights of the soul that every stranger you pass in the street has a the band’s future. Having trained in animation provide the “total immersion” he craves when life as vivid and complex as your own,” explains as a younger man, he is dusting off skills he’s not making an album, as well as time to piece Ben. “You’re just an extra in their story, and utilised in eight years to create visuals for a future together what this emerging opus is about. they’re just an extra in yours. A lot of this comes tour, after baulking at an eye-watering quote “Having a lot of strong songs already is from the way I see the world, but told from the from an agency to do the work. It’s painstaking obviously a big boost,” says Ben of material that, perspective of an accentuated character.” stuff, with each element of the flowers that will under the freewheeling stewardship of producer West, something of an accentuated character accompany In Bloom during shows created Matt – a creative kindred spirit for whom no idea himself, is also no stranger to giving back to from scratch, while the online tutorials he uses is too experimental – kicks open the door to the band that’s changed his life. The bearded for pointers remain at the mercy of an “absolute musical possibilities only hinted at by The Peace guitarist, tending the fire from the opposite side potato” Wi-Fi connection. And The Panic. The new “Dividing and conquering album draws influence from is the best way to work because the aforementioned Sabbath Alas, Ben’s cover of Three we’re here for a finite time,” Blind Mice didn’t make and Oasis, as well as Weezer the final album cut explains West, who’ll contribute and Nirvana. “There’s some musical ideas, but is happy to stuff that’s got a Smashing let Sam play the guitar parts Pumpkins vibe, too,” he adds, in the studio. “If he can track hitting his stride for the day better than I can, why would ahead. “You wouldn’t have I slow things down? It’s about been able to say that before, focusing on our strengths.” would you?” West is currently showcasing another of his strengths, t weirds me out that designing merch on his iPad this is my life and I get while casting a confused to do this for a living,” glance at the others as they “Iadmits Ben that night, the work on a song that’s proving bonfire thawing a reflective rather contentious. Lowlife side he doesn’t readily reveal. started out as a riff Ben played He’s discussing whether the on an acoustic guitar so often changing fortunes that he and during last summer’s U.S. tour his bandmates have enjoyed with blink-182 and Lil Wayne in recent years have altered that his bandmates grew their drive. Is it harder to leave sick of it. There are therefore the homes they’ve bought some raised eyebrows that it’s and domestic lives they’ve being fleshed into fuller form, built to make and tour a new particularly now that it features record? Or does knowing lyrics like ‘I’m drinking coffee what Neck Deep has given on a trampoline’. them make them keener to “I just don’t get it,” West reap and enjoy the rewards? admits to K! later. “It’s “Absolutely!” nods Ben, definitely a lot further out from emphatically stoking the our comfort zone than I’m fire and sending embers personally used to.” soaring into the cold night. “My attitude is that this band arly February. Two has given me everything. months have passed So I have to continue to put since Neck Deep left everything I can offer back Ethe studio, and they look into it.” That’s truer than relieved to be out the other ever, given that Ben, a natural Guitarist West takes a side, quaffing beers much storyteller, has developed break from designing to, earlier than “a quarter past for the album a narrative you know, play guitar piss” in a London pub. Despite framework to help channel his the calm setting the band were ideas and provide a landscape in when we were last with them, his bandmates navigate in weird and often sedentary living, comfort food and antisocial wonderful ways. working hours became side effects of their focus “We’re trying to present our sound, as “THIS BAND HAS GIVEN and took their toll. When Dani returned home individuals and as a band, in a way that’s palatable to Colwyn Bay on the North Wales coast, his to the biggest audience,” explains drummer ME EVERYTHING, SO I girlfriend took one look at him and asked, “What Dani Washington. “That may seem like an the fuck happened to you?” obvious idea, but it’s not really. If you view music HAVE TO PUT EVERYTHING There are bigger questions now, though. as a language, you want as many people to Why, for example, is the 12-track album they’ve understand your language as possible, which BACK INTO IT” emerged with now called All Distortions Are isn’t easy. You don’t want to copy anyone else, BEN BARLOW Intentional, rather than Sonderland? so you’re taking interesting, original ideas and “We realised [Sonderland] pigeonholed channelling them into something bigger that the record a bit, putting too much of a focus brings people into our world.” on the fantastical setting than the characters Broadly speaking, the conceptual arc to Ben, is constantly using the knowledge he’s involved,” explains Ben, who’s happy the name holding the album together concerns the life, accumulated from a lifelong curiosity with how found a home fronting the opening track. “All love and existential questions contemplated things work to create efficiencies for Neck Deep. Distortions Are Intentional came from the artist by Jet, a complicated character the singer The busyness of his brain means he’s generally the who ended up doing the cover [Tom Noon – see doesn’t mind admitting is loosely based on first up in the morning, though he doesn’t spend panel over the page]. We were flipping through himself. Jet resides in a place called Sonderland those extra hours practicing guitar or jotting his stuff, and he had a piece with that name, – a play on “Wonderland” the band are down ideas, instead enjoying some uninterrupted and I thought it sounded sick. It’s a statement considering for the album title, despite Sam gaming before the work begins. When it does, that plays into the record in a lot of ways. Our

KERRANG! 29 understandings and misunderstandings in life great symbolic weight – and says a lot about his and wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for Seb. happen for a reason, and in our journey from belief in the band’s new output. “He’s been part of every decision the band has point A to point B there are a lot of emotional “It did and it didn’t come out of nowhere,” says ever made. He was the one who messaged me fluctuations, which are all part of the bigger Ben, who gained his appetite for live performance all those years back, asking if I’d like to join Neck picture. This is an album of drastic juxtapositions watching his brother play local shows back in the Deep. Now I get the chance to perform with and creative choices that might not all make day. “When we were first looking for a bassist, him, which is so special.” sense right off the bat, but they are intentional.” There’s no doubt All Distortions Are This idea is best illustrated by the seismic Intentional is special, too – the kind of album lyrical and musical shift between tracks five and that somehow manages to maintain the essence six. When You Know is the most traditional pop- of the band you fell in love with, while altering punk song on the record, in which Jet realises its DNA so drastically you’ll give up on guessing he’s in love, before giving way to the glacial “THIS IS AN ALBUM OF what to expect next. Is it a creative gamble? Quarry, which finds him contemplating suicide. Given that it takes a leap as sizeable as the one The bleakness of the latter, it turns out, came JUXTAPOSITIONS THAT from 2015’s Life’s Not Out To Get You to The from a very real place. Peace And The Panic, and then another, that’s “For a while that song was making me sweat,” MIGHT NOT ALL MAKE a yes. Will it please a fanbase who’ve come to says Ben, of Quarry. “Because Jet is drawn from expect the unexpected? Definitely. Will it earn elements of my own personality and psyche, new fans in people who would tell you Neck his admission that ‘Yeah, I want to jump off SENSE OFF THE BAT…” Deep aren’t their cup of tea? Undoubtedly. a cliff,’ is a dark realisation BEN BARLOW Given the boxes being I’m sure we’ve all felt at ticked, and the new boxes times – what if it all ended Noise-cancelling headphones: added in for good measure, right now? I did wonder perfect for when you don’t want this was presumably the if I’d gone in too deep to hear your own playing plan all along, right? Not with that. Then there’s the according to West, who’s stylistic choice – I wouldn’t so pleased with the album say it’s rapping, but would that even the news that the describe it as spoken- rollercoaster visuals he’s word. I’m used to hearing spent two weeks designing my singing voice back, are being scrapped doesn’t and I don’t mind it, but spoil his mood. hearing myself talking and “We’ve always said we my accent coming through just want to do the biggest didn’t feel typically Neck things we can,” he says. Deep, because it was me “We’re hopefully doing some as me. It took me a while big rooms at the end of the to accept it, but we told year, but one of us just asked, ourselves at the start [of ‘What will we do after that?’ making the album] that we Well, I want us to do a show shouldn’t fight what comes at the Racecourse Ground out, whatever it is.” [the 10,771-capacity home of For proof of the Wrexham FC]. We owe a lot dividends this philosophy to the town; I wouldn’t have paid, note that Lowlife – a met Ben and Seb if I hadn’t rather divisive composition gone to college there, and in its infancy back in the would still be working in a studio – has blossomed shop rather than getting to into All Distortions Are dick around on stage, so I’d Intentional’s fascinating first like to give something back.” single, which Ben describes Ben, meanwhile, remains as “a cornerstone”. What’s as modest as ever with more, the lyric ‘I like some his ambitions, despite all purple with my tangerine’, evidence suggesting his inspired by the intense band are sitting on the record colours of certain strains of that will change their fortunes weed, is directly referenced forever. For the singer, in the album’s artwork. The original member of career progression and “Who’d have fucking Drop Dead FC’s Ultras bigger shows, hometown thought it?” laughs West. or otherwise, are more than “Turns out that song is welcome – “We want to do brilliant. So that’s taught the cool shit, because why me to trust in the process.” Thankfully, Neck Deep had a long the fuck wouldn’t we?” – but walk to decide who was responsible Another dramatic less important than people change is the fact that for not booking understanding what Neck five men are sat here Deep have done on All today instead of four, that fifth figure a slightly Seb threw his name into the hat. He’s traditionally Distortions Are Intentional. nervous-looking Seb. Always a behind-the-scenes said he’d rather work with bands than be in one, “I just hope people get it,” laughs Ben. “That member of Neck Deep, having co-written the so back then I thought, ‘Whoa! Fuck!’ It didn’t it makes some kind of sense. The best reaction songs, produced their early records and mixed work out, because I don’t think he was at a place would be for it to just click, as it has on the last this new one, the elder Barlow is officially ND’s in his life where he could commit to it fully. A year couple of records, though obviously I realise this new bassist [see panel, previous page]. Speaking later, with all of us in a better place and Seb along one’s different. We got to witness it fall into place at their family home for the band’s last Kerrang! to write the record, things were different. What making it, which was a very exciting thing, so cover back in 2017, Seb admitted he’s more swayed it for me was his confidence in the idea, I want others to experience that feeling too.” comfortable behind a laptop than in front of without any air of uncertainty at all. His confidence a crowd, so this news comes as something of a gave me confidence. If Seb says he’s going to do ALL DISTORTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL WILL surprise. Given his importance to the band’s story, .” BE RELEASED ON july 24 VIA HOPELESS something, he’ll do it full on RECORDS. NECK DEEP TOUR THE UK this however, there’s no denying the appointment, “It makes so much sense,” adds Dani, who agreed during a piss-up in Wetherspoons, carries wasn’t in Wetherspoons on that fateful night, september – SEE THE GIG GUIDE

30 KERRANG! peeling back the layers BEN picks apart ALL DISTORTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL’s fruity artwork

“We tried a lot of different things, with the initial brief that we wanted it to be different from anything we’d done before – less busy, less wacky. It’s a simple image with quite a stripped-back colour palette, so it’s subtle yet impactful. Someone at our management company is dating Tom [Noon], and there was a piece of his artwork in their offices we thought was really cool. I met with him in London to talk through the themes of the record to spitball ideas. We ended up with the purple tangerine, a lyric from Lowlife, with the world inside it. I see it as symbolising Jet, the main character, and as he unravels, he Finally, back in comes to terms with the world.” civilisation, where Just Eat will actually deliver

KERRANG! 31